96 • Abbott's Bitters $18/10 oz.
Bold spicy baklava and custard aromas with a dusty cedar attic note. On the palate, honeyed sweetness, cinnamon, mint, and delicate barky astringency follow; this is quite delicious and balanced on its own, remarkably. In the Old Fashioned cocktail, the effect is mesmerizing as it seems to amplify all of the positive attributes: fruits, spice, caramelized nuts, and vanilla and smoothes over any flaws in the alcohol. The finish is really where this bitters shines, as it adds layers of grassy herbs, sarsaparilla, and sweet pastry-like spiciness that mesh brilliantly with the oak of the whisky and add tremendous length as well. A truly world-class cocktail bitters. (tasted on Apr-21-2013)

95 • The Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic Bitters $16/200 ml.
Deep chestnut brown color. More dried spice in style with cinnamon, allspice, and anise cookie followed by gentian and hay notes with a bone dry palate and chalk and twiggy astringency on the finish. In the old fashioned cocktail, the effect is one of total integration and elevation of the sweet baking spice and fruity caramel notes of the bourbon. It really acts like a glue and an amplifier for the flavors of this cocktail and gives a nice lingering spiced nut top note to the finish. Fantastic. (tasted on Apr-21-2013)

91 • The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters $16/200 ml.
Muddy brown color. Aromas of allspice, clove and cinnamon suggest mincemeat pie, yet the palate is bone dry with a stalky fennel, cinchona and fenugreek-like finish. In the old fashioned cocktail, the effect is a to add another layer of baking spices and fruitiness that compliment the vanilla, toasted marshmallow, and oak spice of the bourbon. The bittering effect is nominal with only a hint of nutty and leafy astringency that again is extremely well-meshed with the oak notes of the whisky. This bitters plays nicely. (tasted on Apr-21-2013)

89 • Tamborine Mountain Distillery Bitters $25/100 ml.
Very layered aromas are exotically tropical and curry-like in their herbage and vibrantly culinary in spiciness (a spicy meringue or custard comes to mind) followed leafy greenness. The flavors follow with well-meshed fruit, herbs and spices. In the old fashioned cocktail, the bitters add a top note of cracked pepper, crushed mint, and spice to the nose and coconut custard and mango notes are summoned forth on the palate. The finish continues the tropical theme with sweet mint, mineral and herbal honey notes lingering. In the cocktail, these bitters are somewhat subtle, yet effective. (tasted on Apr-21-2013)